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News Release

Last modified: Friday, November 5, 2010

IU Art Museum to open Tibet exhibition with traditional Buddhist prayer ceremony

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nov. 5, 2010

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- A new exhibit at the Indiana University Art Museum will open with a Buddhist prayer ceremony performed by Arjia Rinpoche of the Bloomington Tibetan Mongolian Buddhist Cultural Center.

"From the Steppes and the Monasteries: Arts of Mongolia and Tibet," opening at 2 p.m. Nov. 14, features a display of Mongolian and Tibetan artwork from the Bronze period to the 20th century.

"The event will give people a chance to glimpse a traditional Buddhist ceremony," said Josie Larimer, events manager at the IU Art Museum. "It will showcase the wealth of art, music, dance and cultural traditions from Tibet and Mongolia available in Bloomington."

Adhering to Tibetan tradition, the Rinpoche -- a holy man believed to be a reincarnated teacher in Buddhism -- will bless objects in the museum's Special Exhibitions Gallery. His prayers are intended to boost positive karma and promote peace, Larimer said.

After blessings are issued, sixth grader Animaa Ganbaatar from University Elementary School will perform a dance called "Saalichin" ( "Milker's Dance") in the Thomas T. Solley Atrium. Mongolian musicians and IU student vocalists will accompany the performance.

"It's an excellent opportunity to experience the musical heritage of this fascinating region of the world," said IU art professor Judith Stubbs, the exhibit coordinator. "Seeing the culture live adds insight to the rich vocabulary of life and faith on display in the exhibition."

The program is sponsored by the IU Inner Asian and Uralic National Resource Center.

About the Indiana University Art Museum

Since its establishment in 1941, the Indiana University Art Museum has grown from a small university teaching collection into one of the foremost university art museums in the country. Today, the IU Art Museum's internationally acclaimed collections, ranging from ancient gold jewelry and African masks to paintings by Claude Monet and Pablo Picasso, include more than 40,000 objects representing nearly every art-producing culture throughout history.

The IU Art Museum is located on Seventh Street in the heart of the Bloomington campus. Galleries are open Tuesday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. Angles Café and Gift Shop is open Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday noon to 5 p.m. Galleries are closed on Mondays and major holidays. The museum and all exhibitions and programs are free and open to the public.

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